Improvement in machines for grooving sewing-machine needles



4Sheets--Sheet1. H. FREIMUTH & A. B UTTNER. Machines for Growing Sewing-Machine Needles. No, 136 439 PatentedMarch4J873.

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AM PHOTO-LITHOGRAPH/C 00 N. K( assure/v51; PROCESS) J 4Sheets--Sheet2.. H. FREIMUTH- & A. BUTTNER.

Machines for Growing Sewing-Machine Needles.

No. 136 430 PatentedMarch4,1873.

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Ali 7. PHOTO-LITHUGHAPHIC (,0 N X SBDRNEjS PRCLESQ H. FREIMUTH & A. BUTTNER.

4 Sheers--Sheet 4.

Machin s for Grooving Sewing-Machine Needies;

Patented March 4,1873;

gunman AM. PHOTO-ZITHOGHAPHIC CUv IYXWSBODNEJS PROCESS M ma UNI D STATES PATENT @Frron.

nnmnrcn FREIMUTH Ann AUGUST BUTTNER, or AACHEN, rnussni.

lMPROVEMENT IN MACHlNES FOR GROOVING SEWiNG-itiAQi-HNE T-EEES LE S.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 136,430, dated March 4, 1.8?3. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Hummer: FREIMUTH and AUGUST BI'J'TTNER, of Aachen, in the Kingdom of Prussia, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Grooving Sewing- Machine Needles, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a section at the lines A A A A in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line G G in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view and section along the line H E, Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section along the line B B in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section along the line F F in Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a parallel section to Fig. 7 through the two parts 12 and q. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the machine. Figs. 10 and 12 are longitudinal sections through modified parts, which answer the like marked parts in Figs. 4, 7, and 8. Figs. .11 and 13 are end views of the same parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention consists in the improvement in machines for grooving needles, as hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The spindle 1 is borne at one end in the two conical beds2 and 3, and at the other end it is centered into the endv of the, cylinder 4.' This cylinder 4-is fitted into the hollow cylinder 8, and can be retracted by the screw 5, which is supported in the bracket 6, as shown. By this screw the cylinder 4 can be drawn so far as to permit the spindle 1 to be furnished with cutters and rings. The hollow cylinder 8 is conical at one end, fits into a correspondingly conical end of cylinder 7, and is provided with a slitted, mouth-piece, which equally at its mouth is conically bored out. By turning the nut 9 the slit conical mouth-piece of 8 is drawn between 7 and 4, and is compressed, and thus the bolt 4 is fixed in a position exactly concentric to the boring of cylinder 7. 9 represents the common base plate of the heads 2, 3, and 7. The spindle 1 is revolved by the pulley 10. Upon this spindle are secured several circular cutters, c c c, which are separated and held a certain distance apart by the hollow cylinders, or washers c 0..

upon the cone of the spindle. The last. cut- Thecutter nearest the head. 3 is supported by the ring f, whichis set ter on the other side is fixed by the nut g, which presses together all the cutters and washers. It is necessary and essential that the intermediate pieces 0 c be of a certain length, and that they fit accurately upon the spindle in order to keep the cutters in an exact perpendicular position to the spindle, the more so because the cutters from hardening may be not exactly straight. If the cutters exceed a certain number itis necessary to prevent them from loosening and turning on the spindle. This is effected by cutting in the spindle two or any other number of grooves, s s, Fig. 4, longitudinally, in which are caught some inward projections, either of the cutters or of the washers, or both. Under every cutter is placed a saddle, h, with a groove, in which the needle is put. All the saddles h htlie together in a case,11. The saddles can all be moved laterally by a key or wedge, k, and vertically by a key or wedge, 1

The movement of the keys k k is effected by the screws 0 0,- that of the keyst' i by the pressing-screws m m and the tug-screws l l,

which both are fitting in the slides a n. The face of the casell consists of the two pieces 12 and 13, which are screwed on 11, and between which the slides a n can move. The movement of-the saddles h h by the keys is necessary in order to bring all the needles accurately under the cutters, and to make all the grooves equally deep, although the cutters may have unequal diameters. All the sad dles 1th are fixed in their positions by the pressing-screw a, thus pressing them all to gether. The case 11 is movable up and down between the ridges of the slide 14. This movement is effected by two cylinders, 15 15, which lie in bearings of the slide 14, with eccentric end pins, as shown. .These pins'carry cranks 16 '16, which are connected by the bar 117,01 adjustable length, in order that both cylinders raise and lower the case 11 in an absolute parallel manner. In the lower side of the slide- 14 is held a nut, 18, in which a screw spindle, 19, is secured. By this spindle the slide 14, and with it the case'11,is ad--- justed. The slide 14 is dovetailed between a bar that is formed on'the base-plate 9 and a bar, 20, which is fixed, by screws 21 and 22, to

the base-plate, as shown in Fig. 2. One end of the spindle19 turns in the socket 2,3, which is screwed on the framing 9, and bears a cordpulley,24, worked by a cordfrom the smaller pulley 25, that is at one end of the cross-axle 26, whose other end turns in the slide-bearing 27, and provided with a friction disk, 28. This disk 28 is in its middle position almost in contact with the friction-disks 29 and 30, that are fastened on the axle 31, which is driven by the cord-pulley 34 from the pulley 35 of the spindle 1. In order to move the slide 14, and with it all the needles, forward or backward, or to stop it, itis sufiicient to bring the disk 28 in contact with 29 or with 30. This can be effected by the lever 36, which has a point of support in the pillar 37, and seizes with a fork the bearing 27,, if its other end is moved up and down. Now, as a crank, 45, drops with a pin into a slit of the lever 36, which crank 45, as well as the crank-handle i8, is on the common axle 46, the workman can in a very convenient and easy manner move the slide 1e1- forward or backward, or stop it, by only pressing the lever 48 up or down, or holding it in a middle posture. Instead of making all the movements of the lever 36 by hand, the machine can be made to accomplish some of them automatically. The back half of the spindle 19 has for that purpose a screw-thread of greater rising than its front in order that the nut 39 may travel further andfasterthan the slide 14. In the upper part of this nut 39 are lying four small tracks, 42 42 42 42, (see Fig. 3,) each having a slightly concave surface, in which the pin 38 can slide along, restinglin the slide 37 of the lever 36, and can also move transversely to the spindle 19. The tracks a and B answer for the for- \vard-and-back motions for cutting the short groove; the tracks j and J the same for cutting the long groove. These four tracks are provided with elevations and depressions in order to give the lever 36, and therewith the slide 14, the intended motion.' The tracks 42 are hired by the screws 43, and' can be exchanged and adapted to every sort of needles. leis a stationary guide for the lever 36. This total apparatus is fixed on the frame 46, which is screwed or fastened to the gba'se9. The nut 39 is dovetailedbetween the rails 41 4:1. The mechanism for lifting and lowering the case 11 consists of the following parts: 49 is a sector of a cog-wheel fixed on the eccentric pin of one of the cylinders 15, together with one of the above-mentioned cranks 16. It gears into the cog-wheel 50, which is fastened on theaxle 51. Thistransverse axle is held in the bearings 52 and-53, and carries in front the jointed lever 55. The bearing 53' is fastened on the slide 14, and is enlarged in front to form a disk, on the flanged periphery of whichcramps or lugs 51 can e'asil y be fixed in any convenient posture. Pressing down the lever 55, both cylinders 15-ar'e turned, and thus the case 11 is lifted, whereupon the lever 55 isfixed bypressing it behind one of the cramps or lugs 54. The number of such cramps is usually two, to enable an adjustment both for the deeper and the shallower part of the needle-groove. The needles are held fast as follows: Under the free parts of all the needles there is a bar, 56, which, at the pointsin contact with the needles, is fitted with wood, leather, or other soft material. Each needle is from above pressed upon its support by threespringsthe fore part by the spring 57, the back part by the spring 65, and the -middle part by the spring 63. All the springs 57 are attached to the bar 58, which is connected with the slide 14 by twopillars, 61 61. These pillars 61 61 are held to the case 11 by straps 62 62., The springs 57 57 are adjusted by the screws so as not to press upon the needles.

unless the case 11 is lifted. The same is the ease with the springs 63 63, which. are all screwed to the bar 64, this latter being fastened at the heads 3 and 7. .The spring 63 will press, therefore, always upon that part of the needles which is next to the cutters, while the springs 57and 65 hold the fore andv back parts of the needles invariably secured. All the springs 65 65 are attached to a bar, 66', which is heldby the two pieces .72 72. in such a manner that it can be turned as well as moved lengthwise. The pieces 72 72 are fixed on the case 11. Upon the prominent part of 66 is sitting a lever havingthe two arms 67 and 69, as in Fig. 5. The spiral spring 68, in drawing down the arm 67, presses the springs 65 uponthe needles; but the workman, pressing upon the arm 69, and overcoming the power of the spiral spring, can lift the springs 65. This position can be fixed by latching the link 70 attached to 69 in the hook 71.. if both grooves of a needle are to be cutone' after the other, it is necessary to tu'rnthe needle one hundred and eighty degrees round its axis after the first groove has been made,

This turning is effected as follows The bar 56,

lies upon the sides of thecase 11, in. such ;a manner that it is movable between the pieces 72 72 and 90 90. The end of thisbar=56 isTtfit ted with a screw-thread and four nuts, 73 73. Equally the bar 66 is fitted with nuts 74.. 74. Between these nuts a double-armed 1ever,-7 5, is applied in such a manner that it has its, fulcrum 76 fixed at the case 11, in the midstof the two bars 56 and 66. The workman, turningi't on thisax'le, shoves the bars 56 and 66 in op.- posite directions, and'rolls thus the needles one hundred and eighty degrees round their axes, but leaves them in theirrelative places to the grooves in the saddles h It. .J3y varyin g the stroke of the lever 75 the motion of turning the needles can be varied, this stroke hein 3' limited by the adj ustin g-screws 7 7 77, whichare put in the framing 78, fixed upon the slide 14. All the needles are simultaneously applied to their places in the following manner: Upon the saddles h I; are fastened the projecting pieces 11 1). On thefore parts of these are sitting in grooves the furrowed pieces a u, and on these the reservoir r r. .The reservoirs are contracted downward in such a degree that from each reservoir no more than one lneedle can fall into the furrow of a. This needle is then shoved forward by the pin '0 to its prop er position in the saddle h. The little bridge on the channel q, secured to 11, serves to secure the direction of the needle on the way between 1; and b.

g The Figs. 10, ll, 12, and 13 show modifications of these parts, the mouths of u u and q q being contracted by little springs; for if the needles have large butt ends and thin shafts it frequently happens that two shafts together are shoved into the mouth of a. This is prevented by the spring in u, that leaves space only for one shaft. The other spring lying in q does not allow the needle to push against b. The depth of furrow in u is to be regulated to the thickness of the needles.

.- All the pins 0 o areheaded, and stick in the shells w w, and these are fastened by the screws 00 at at the forks y y, which latter, all together, are fixed by the screws 77 on the armed piece or double crank, it", movable in' such a manner that the lower arm presses against the head of the pins 1;, with which it is in line. The rod88 is supported at the ends in bearin gs 83, which are sliding on the bars 84 84. In order to effect this sliding in a convenient manner the sockets 83 83 are connected by the two little connecting-rods 82 82 with a frame, 81, which hangs and can be turned on its axle 80 that hangs in the two bearings 79. These latter are fixed to the base-plate 9.

' The two spiral springs 89 89 tend always to move the frame 81, and with it the link 88 and all the pins n, toward the middle of the machine.

x The nuts 85 85 and 87 87 limit the motion of the bearings 83 83. Elastic rings 86 are placed upon the rods 84 in front of the nuts 87, for purposes hereinafter set forth.

I Before beginning thc operation the state of the machine is as follows: The case 11 is let down, the slide 14 is in the foremost position, answering to the length of the needle-grooves, the lever 36 is in the middle position and the gearing of the spindlefJQ thereby stopped, the lever 69 is presseddownward and fixed, and the frame 81 is drawn back by the springs 89. The operative now draws back the frame 81, and from each reservoir -r one needle will fall into its furrow u. Giving way, now, to the frame 81 and to the force of the springs 89 89, all these needles will be pushed forward by the pins 1: till they arrive at their right places. If one or more of these pins should be hin- I ilered in their motion, the double-armed piece it works as an expedient of safety, turning it- 'self around 88, and not pressing further on the pin-head. After that the lever 69 is let go,

which forces the springs upon the needles, and thus the needles are fixed. Thereafter the workman lifts the case 11 by means of the le'- ver 55, which brings the springs 57 and 63, and soon after the cutters, in contact with the needles. Pressing, now, the lever 48 down,

the workman throws in gear the screw-spindle 19, which moves the slide, when the same commences to make a groove in the needles. As soon asthis is long enough the pin 38, moving hitherto in the track a, sinks, and effects thereby a reversing of the slide-gear. At the same time the workman lets'down the case 11, and by displacing the lever 75 he revolves and turns over all the needles. The case 11 is then once more raised. Meanwhile the slide is returned to its first position, and is fixed in this by the pin 38, which is lifted into the middle position, sliding on'the track 3, or by a body directly opposite to the movement of the slide. The workman, again pressing down the lever 48, begins the second grooving. WVithin one grooving the depth of the groove can be altered by fixing the lever 55 in another position. The second groove being finished, the slide returns and stops accurately, the same as after the first grooving. The lever 69 is now to be pressed down and fixed, and the case 11 to be let down. Lastly, the workman throws out all the needles simultaneously by drawing the lever 81 toward himself and permitting it to spring back, in consequence of which operation the bearings 83 83 bound against the elastic rings 86 86, and the pins 0 o are struck by n, which throws out all the needles.

The machine then is in the same state in which it was at the beginning of the work, and ready to repeat the whole operation.

The advantage of this machine is clear. It

consists in the grooving of many needles-siclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, as"described, of the friction-disks 28, 29, and 30 with the slide 14., in the mannerand for the-purpose setfor'th.

2. The arrangement of the three bearings 2, 7

3, and 7 for the main spindle 1, for the .purpose of preventing irregular'movement of the same, in the manner described.

3. The saddles h h and keys 2' t and k kin the case 11, arranged for adjusting the needles separately, in the manner described.

4. The double cranks u, arranged on the rod 88 to operate on the pins 22, as; set forth.

5. vThe combination of the parts 81, 82, 83,

84', 86, and 88 with each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

.Aix-la-Ghap'elle, September 21, 1872.

H. FBEIMUTH. Witness es: A. BUTTNER. 7

WILLIAM WITTE, O. B. FIDDER. 

